in Pauls Church-yard MYsteriorum Medulla Bibliorum The Mystery and Marrow of the Bible viz. Gods Covenants with man in the First Adam before the Fall and in the Last Adam Jesus Christ after the Fall From the beginning to the end of the World by Francis Roberts M. A. in fol. The Communicant instructed or practical directions for the worthy receiving the Lords Supper in octavo The Believers Evidences for eternal life in octa An Alphabetical Table of the chief things handled in this Treatise A Ability to pray shall not be wanting to him that goeth on in the duty pag. 118 Anguish of mind the cause why Gods people regard not answer of prayers pag. 73 Answer of prayers five wayes pag. 66 Answer of prayers sometimes as a judgment pag. 70 Asa's sin in seeking to the Physitian and not to God pag. 54 Ask in the name of Christ according to the will of God and thou shalt be answered pag. 100 What it is to ask in the Name of Christ pag. 13 No warrant to ask what God hath not promised to give pag. 103 God is more ready to answer than we are to ask pag. 120 B Better with him that prayeth than with him that prayeth not pag. 56 Benefits that come by prayer pag. 35 Blessings of God not to be expected without prayer pag. 46 Bodies as well as souls must worship God pag. 19 C Call of God to prayer a sign God intends to answer pag. 98 A Catalogue of sins of graces and of blessings will furnish thee with matter of prayer pag. 105 Cautions in reading forms of prayer pag. 112 Commandments no prayers pag. 85 Constant seeking God a certain sign God will answer pag. 96 Continual praying what is meant by it pag. 40 Creed no prayer pag. 87 D Daily prayers a means to obtain grace and to persevere and increase therein pag. 46 Dead dull formal heartlesse prayers are not pleasing unto God pag. 75 Delayes of God are no denials pag. 72 Directions in the duty of prayer pag. 102 The Divel is conquered and daily sins prevented by daily prayers pag. 47 48 Doubting in prayer sinful pag. 90 E Earthly things must be sought conditionally pag. 14 Ends bad in prayer spoil the duty pag. 83 Esteem highly of God in prayer pag. 106 Examples of frequent prayer See Epist to read Examples of five in Scripture that went to God in the sense of sin and obtained mercy pag. 64 Eyes lift up to God in prayer examples for it pag. 22 F Faith the condition upon which the promise of answer of prayers is made pag. 90 Faith may be when thou feelest it not pag. 59 Faithful praying is a sign of one that hath grace that is a child of God and shall be saved pag. 92 Family prayers bring a blessing upon the family pag. 91 Forms of prayer lawful pag. 110 G Gestures in prayer pag. 18 God must first speak to the heart before the heart can speak to God pag. 5 God must be sought in the use of means pag. 54 Gods goodnesse a motive to prayer pag. 37 Gods ready hearing others an encouragement to prayer pag. 121 Gods time the best time for answering prayers pag. 100 Gods glory only to be sought in prayer pag. 108 Grace in the heart will enable a man to pray without reading forms pag. 113 H Hands as well as hearts must be lifted up to God in prayer pag. 20 Hands lift up in prayer what it signifies pag. 21 Hate the sin you pray against pag. 16 Heart broken for sin shall be broken by God from sin pag. 104 Heart to pray where given God will lend an ear to hear pag. 115 Heavenly things must be sought absolutely pag. 14 Hypocrites serve not God out of the love they bear to him pag. 84 Humility requisite in prayer pag. 10 I If thy heart incline to sin Gods ear will not incline to thy prayers pag. 89 Incouragements four to the duty of prayer pag. 117 Instructions in the right manner of prayer pag. 75 Interest in Christ makes both our persons and our prayers accepted pag. 102 K Kneeling a part of divine worship pag. 18 Kneeling in prayer examples for it pag. 19 Knowledge requisite in prayer pag. 9 L Labours to no purpose without Gods blessing pag. 55 A lasie posture in prayer is not to be used pag. 28 Lasie and sluggish prayers provoke God pag. 82 Love to our brethren requisite in prayer pag. 10 Love not long prayers pag. 15 Love the grace you pray for pag. 17 M Meditation a help to prayer pag. 8 Men to be uncovered in prayer pag. 23 Mental prayer pag. 6 Morning and Evening the fittest times for prayer pag. 44 Motives to prayer pag. 33 N Needs of Gods people God is able and willing to supply pag. 38 Necessity of prayer in four respects pag. 33 O Objections against prayer answered pag. 50 Order in prayer required pag. 14 Outward gestures when they may be omitted pag. 25 P Power of prayer in divers examples pag. 77 Prayer what it is pag. 4 Prayer several definitions thereof See the Epistle to the Reader Pray that you may pray pag. 7 Prayer several requisites in it pag. 9 c. To pray for light and slight things a taking Gods Name in vain pag. 83 Prayers five several wayes answered pag. 66 Prayers answered as a judgment and denied as a mercy pag. 70 Prayer gives comfort in all afflictions pag. 95 Prayer may be effectual when a man is indisposed to it and distracted in it pag. 59 Prayer is the Bucket by which we draw water out of the Wells of salvation pag. 34 Prayer neglected exposes a man to all sins and temptations pag. 81 82 Pray aright and be sure to speed pag. 35 Preparations to prayer pag. 7 Pride keeps men from prayer pag. 65 Priviledges of the praying Christian see the Epistle to the Reader Promises to prayer pag. 39 He that turns the promises into prayers speaks to God in his own language pag. 103 Q Questions two concerning prayer answered pag. 110 R Reasons six for daily prayers pag. 45 Reproof for those that pray without judgment or understanding pag. 85 Reproof for those that use irreverent gestures in prayer pag. 29 Rest not in the duty of prayer pag. 107 Reverence in prayer exhorted to pag. 31 Reverence in prayer an effect of faith pag. 27 S Sacrifices under the Old Law morning and evening figured out the Christians daily prayers pag. 44 Secret prayers shall be answered pag. 91 Sense of sin should not keep us from prayer pag. 63 Sighs and groans a sign of the spirit of prayer and accepted with God pag. 94 Sincerity in prayer accepted with God although there be many failings pag. 95 What sinners God will not hear pag. 62 Sitting in prayer not found in Scripture pag. 32 Not greatnesse of sinne but want of faith keeps men from seeking Gods mercy pag. 5 T Tears have a voice in Gods ears pag. 60 Temporal things must be
be free from sinne but Prayer is a special means to free us from the dominion of sinne While we are in the body sinne will be there yet shall it not raign in our mortal bodies so as we shall obey it in the lusts thereof Rom. 6.12 if we daily seek God for pardon of it and strength against it and that leads me to Reas 6 The sixth and last Reason why we are to pray every day It is because we have need continually to begge pardon of sin We have not more need of daily bread to preserve the body from perishing than of daily pardon of sinne that the Soul may not perish And therefore it followes in the Lords Prayer after Mat. 6.11 12. Give us this day our daily bread Forgive us our trespasses It is requisite we should begge pardon in the morning for the sinnes of the night past and we should begge pardon at night for the sinnes of the day past And so continue seeking of God every day that our sinnes may be pardoned that our Souls may be saved And so much for this seventh thing propounded the times of Prayer I come now to the eighth and last thing propounded Lastly and that is to answer divers Objections about Prayer Ob ∣ jection 1 First some may object It is to no purpose to pray 1. Mat. 6.8 Because God knoweth our wants 2. Ephes 1.11 He hath Decreed what shall befal every man 3. Phil. 4.6 He is ready to give us what is fit for us Answ 1 I Answer first although God knoweth our wants yet it is his will we should make them known to him by Prayer Saith the Apostle Let your requests be made known unto God Christ knew that blinde Bartimeus had need of his sight and yet he would have him to pray for it before he would give him it Mark 10.51 52. Jesus answered and said unto him What wilt thou that I should doe unto thee the blinde man said unto him Lord that I might receive my sight and immediately he received his fight Secondly As God determins what he will doe he hath determined also that Prayer shall be the means whereby we shall obtain what he hath determined to give us God promises to give a new heart and a new spirit with many other blessings Ezekiel 36. and yet in the 37 Verse he saith For all this I will be inquired by the house of Israel Ezek. 36.37 God promises the restauration of Israel Jeremiah 31. yet he saith in the nineth Verse Jer. 31.9 They shall come with weeping and with supplications will I lead them They shall be led out of their captivity but it shall be as an answer of Prayers Thirdly this praying doth not at all derogate from Gods goodnesse and readinesse to give but it rather demonstrateth his goodnesse 1. In that he saith but ask and have Mat. 7.7 2. In that he alone stirs us up to pray to the end he may doe us good Psal 10.17 Thou preparest their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 3. God will have us pray before he gives blessings because he delighteth in the work of his own Spirit in us Cant. 2.14 Le me hear thy voice for it is sweet saith Christ to his Church 4. And lastly Lastly God knoweth that his blessings will be then most sweet and comfortable to us when we have obtained them by Prayer Saith Hannah 1 Sam. 1.27 For this Child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him When mercy comes as an answer of Prayer this engages the Soul to love God and quicken up the heart yet more and more to seek him so it was with David Psal 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplication Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live You see because God heard his prayer he resolves to go on in this course of praying as long as he lived And thus you see notwithstanding the Objection it is to good purpose we should pray Again it may be Objected 2. Objection It is needlesse to pray because the good successe of things depends upon second causes and natural means God useth to work by as Physick Bread and the like I answer Answ this is a most prophane and heathenish Objection For although God works by means yet is it not in the means without Gods blessing to do us good First It is a sinne to use the means without seeking of God as Asa 2 Chron. 16.12 In his disease he sought not the Lord but to the Physitian Secondly It is a sinne also and tempting of God to pray and yet neglect the means You shall finde that God blameth Moses for resting upon Prayer with the neglect of the meanes And the Lord said unto Moses Exod. 14.15 wherefore cryest thou unto me speak unto the Children of Israel that they goe forward Why dost thou pray and stand still and dost not use the means March on doe not only pray but use the means He that prays and uses not the means tempts God and saith Christ Mat. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God But when we pray to him and trust in him in the use of means then and not till then may we expect Gods blessing Arise therefore 1 Chron. 22.16 and be doing and the Lord be with thee For all our labours are to no purpose without Gods blessing 1 Chron. 3.7 and our ordinary food cannot nourish us without Gods blessing Mat. 4.4 Therefore I conclude although God work by secondary causes yet those doe it not without his blessing And we cannot expect Gods blessing without Prayer It is therefore needful in the use of all means to pray to God for a blessing Thirdly It may be Objected 3. Objection That they that never pray doe as well as they that pray most What neede therefore is there of this constant praying I Answer Answ it is most false to say those that pray not doe as well as those that pray most For First The blessings that those that never pray receive they are but temporal Mat. 5.45 He maketh his sunne to shine on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust But Gods children that pray unto him are filled with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things Ephes 1.3 Secondly Those that pray not can have no assurance of the enjoying the outward comforts they have Job 20.15 to ver 19. God hath threatned to blast upon them But those that pray have a promise to build upon yea many promises especially this Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 3. And lastly They that pray not have no right to any outward thing they do enjoy neither can they have any sound comfort in it
privy pride that keep men from the duty of Prayer As a begger he is in want and would fain have relief but pride keeps him from begging Fourthly and lastly Lastly Know it is not so much the greatnesse of thy sinnes as the want of Faith that keep thee off from seeking Gods mercy And this sinne of unbelief is a greater sin then all thy other sinnes thou art guilty of because it makes thee to lie under the guilt and condemnation of all thy other sinnes Joh. 16.9 chap. 3. 36. Heb. 3.12 It is the root of all other sinnes It is such a sinne as rejects the remedy of Christs blood by which they should obtain pardon of sinne Therefore have Faith in God and let not the greatnesse of your sinnes hinder you from the performance of your Duty Sixthly 6. Objection Answ I have prayed but I can find no answer In answer to this I shall shew you how many ways God answers his peoples Prayers that so you be not mistaken in thinking God doth not answer your Prayers when they are answered and you take no notice of it First God answers prayers when he grants the thing that is begged in Prayer And thus God answered Hannah when she prayed for a child 1 Sam. 1.27 And thus God answered Solomon when he prayed for wisdome 1 King 3.9 12. It may be God hath not thus heard thy prayer Secondly God answers prayers when what is asked is denyed and a better thing is granted So Abraham begged Ishmael Gen. 17.19 20. and he gave him Isaack So the Disciples asked when the kingdome should be restored to Israel Christ deny them that Acts 1.6 7 8. and gives them power to be witnesses to him So the Cripple he asked an Almes Acts 3.3 6. and he had his limbs restored to him So God many times denies the thing is asked but gives a better thing Thirdly God answers prayers when nothing at all is granted and yet God strengthens the Soul with his grace to bear the want of it Such an answer had David Psa 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me with strength in my soul And thus Christ was heard in his sufferings Heb. 5.9 when he prayed he was supported And thus the Apostle was answered when he prayed to be delivered from Satans buffetings 2 Cor. 12.8 9. The grace of God was sufficient for him If God answer thee thus say not thou hast lost thy labour in praying for this is a gracious answer of Prayer Fourthly God answer prayers although thy particular request be not granted yet if thou feelest thy heart after prayer cheered and thy inward comfort and assurance of Gods favour increased thereby This is such an answer as is best of all when spiritual joy is increased by prayer Joh. 16.24 Ask saith Christ that your joy may be full Although Davids prayer was not answered for the good of his enemies Psal 35.13 yet his prayer returned into his own bosom he had the inward comfort of it And this is the meaning of that promise to prayer Phil. 4.6 7 Let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Your hearts and mindes shall be kept stayed upon Christ And this is a sweet answer of Prayers Fifthly and lastly Lastly God answer prayers when he does not grant the things we have prayed for or those inward comforts of his spirit yet he make us able to continue praying this strength is a work and fruit of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.26 27. The spirit helpeth our infirmities c. So long as thou canst pray with such strivings it is impossible God should neglect thee Yet further know That God sometimes grants our prayers as a Judgement and sometimes he denies them as a Mercy First God sometimes answers prayers as a Judgement and so he gave the Israelites their own desires Psa 78.29 30 31. and withall his wrath seazed on them to their destruction Secondly God sometimes denies to answer prayers as a Mercy Job 6.8 9. And so he denied Jobs request when he desired God would destroy him and cut him off Jona 4.8 And so Jonah he wished he might die God denies his request as a Mercy The seventh and last Objection is this 7. Objection I can find no good by praying but I find I am rarher the worse I Answer Answ Thus we find in Scripture Gods servants complaining Job 30.20 21. saith Iob I cryed unto thee and thou regardest me not thou art become cruel to me And David saith Psal 69.3 I am weary of my crying my throat is dryed mine eyes fail while I wait for my God Psal 80.4 How long wilt thou be angry with the prayers of thy peoples And Habakkuk he cryed out Hab. 1.2 O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hears But for further answer know that God may doe thus and it may be out of love to thee As First It may be God seeth it better for thee to want that thou prayest for then to have it the promise is Psa 30.10 Mat. 7.11 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing If thou shouldest have it it may be God seeth it not good for thee Secondly It may be God seeth it not good for thee to have it yet Eccles 3.11 every thing is beautiful in his time Luke 1.7 13. or season Zachary prayed for a child but God granted not his request till he was old that so God might have the more glory by it John 11.3 6 15 40 ver So Christ delayed to answer Mary and Martha's request concerning their brother Lazarus that so God might have the more glory in the close Isa 30.18 The Lord waits that he may be gracious Gods delayes are no denials his time is the best time 3. And lastly It may be God heareth thee but thou perceivest it not Dan. 10.12 So it was with Daniel the first day he prayed his prayer was answered but he did not know it till afterwards And the causes why men perceive not Gods answer of prayers may be these First It may be they are heedlesse of Gods answers Saith David I will hear what the Lord will speak Psal 85.8 I will attentively mark what God will say and for want of this God hears many times and they observe it not Secondly sometimes God answer prayers but anguish and trouble of mind is the cause why men take no notice of it So it was with Iob If I had called Job 9.16 17. and he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had harkned to my voice For he breaketh me with a tempest c. As the people of Israel Exod. 6.5 They hearkned not to Moses for anguish of spirit So many times God answers his